An international “psychic” ring put together a $180 million fraud that targeting American citizens, until the Justice Department shut it down.
“To line their own pockets, the defendants preyed upon the superstition and desperation of millions of vulnerable Americans,” Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Monday.
A federal judge shut that down by issuing a consent decree that bans eight companies that based in four countries from using the U.S. postal system to advertise for psychics, clairvoyants or astrologers. The companies sent letters in the name of a pair of French psychics to millions of people promising that specific good fortunes would attend the recipients, provided that they purchased certain products.
“This widespread scam targeted more than 1 million people, many of whom were elderly or in financial distress,” Benjamin Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Investigators concluded that the forecasts were, in fact, fraudulent by comparing the “specific” prophecies sent to various individuals. “In reality, the solicitations are identical, mass produced form letters sent to tens of thousands of recipients throughout the United States every month,” the DOJ announcement stated.
